


The Garden

by bexcj



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-04-08 14:52:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14107755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bexcj/pseuds/bexcj
Summary: Everyone has heard of the abandoned house on the hill, surrounded by an ethereal garden filled with flowers and herbs, guarded by an evil demon, which sacrifices the soul of any human who steps inside. Destiny finds Kagome drawn to the garden, where she becomes caught up in an ancient feud between two brothers and a mission to save the stolen souls.





	1. Demon Guard

Kagome strolled through the bustling middle-school hallway alongside Eri, Yuka and Ayumi, who were attempting to convince her to go on a date with Hojo, as they did every minute they weren't in a lesson.

"But he likes you, Kagome! Why don't you just give him a chance?" Eri whined, tugging at Kagome's left forearm. Yuka took hold of her right one, pulling, causing Kagome to lose her balance slightly. The girls continued to plead her to go on at least one date with Hojo, but Kagome's response remained the same as always.

A sigh, a roll of the eyes and a sweet smile. "Guys, Hojo's my friend, that's all. I don't think of him that way."

This statement only provoked further whining from her friends, and Kagome couldn't help but let out a small giggle. Her friends were persistent, but they cared for her. She hadn't ever shown much interest in boys, refusing to partake in the constant conversation on which one looked the cutest that day, or which one would make the perfect husband. It wasn't that Kagome didn't  _like_  boys like that, she just had better things to do, like study.

Kagome was suddenly brought to a halt by her friends, who stopped in the middle of the hallway. Kagome turned her head to the obstruction of their path. Two girls, kneeling on the floor and crying - no - screaming. They let out high pitched sobs, which roused attention from those nearby, forming a crowd in a circle around them.

A boy knelt down to them, placing one hand on each of their shoulders in an attempt to console them. "What's happened?" He asked, his voice soft. "Why are you crying?"

"Our friend!" One of the girls cried out, causing the crowd of students around her to silence themselves. The girl hesitated before speaking again. Kagome watched her as she squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to say whatever she was about to. "Our friend went to the garden. She was taken! She's dead!"

The crowds gasped in unison, and the hallway began to buzz with conversation. "The garden? She went to the house?" "There's no way she's alive." "Do you think she's been eaten by now?" "Didn't she know what happens when you go to the garden?"

Kagome's eyes widened. She had heard much about the garden from her Grandpa, who was the master on all ancient stories, theories and conspiracies. He'd told her about the garden and warned her never to step foot within a mile of it, but she'd believed it was another one of his silly made-up stories.

An old, abandoned house atop a large hill, five or so miles from her home. She could view it in the distance when standing at the top of the shrine steps. The house was plain, wooden and looked as though it could fall down at any given moment due to being so old, five-hundred years old according to Grandpa. The house gained its fame from the beautiful garden which surrounded the perimeter, filled with flowers of all scents and colours, and more importantly, rare plants which could be used to heal the deadliest of illnesses. The word was that the garden still contained magic, which existed long ago in Japan before disappearing without a trace.

However, everyone knew never to set foot near the garden, as her Grandpa had warned her. The ancient story of the house foretold an evil demon which guarded the garden, and any human who entered would be taken by the demon and was never to be seen again.

Kagome didn't believe it. Demons, magic, it was all so far-fetched. She watched the house from her shrine all the time when she was small, and she had never once caught a glimpse of a demon.

But now it was different. Now there was a girl that had gone missing and was last seen near the garden. Kagome's heart raced, beating so hard and so fast that she began to feel faint. The story wasn't true. There was no demon in that house, was there?

"Kagome!"

Kagome returned to the real world, where Eri, Yuka and Arumi were staring at her with concerned expressions. "Kagome, are you okay? You were just staring into space."

Kagome faked a smile, linking their arms tightly with her own. "I'm fine. I was just thinking that we have History now and we'll be late if we don't hurry. Let's go!" She pulled her friends down the hallway, speeding past the two girls who were still crying on the floor. She did not want to think about demons or gardens for one moment longer.

As hard as she tried, Kagome couldn't stop thinking about it. She sat through her history lesson in deep thought, her teacher's voice just a muffle in the distance. It's a  _myth_ , she thought to herself.  _It's just a myth, right? Why do I care so much about that house?_

She tapped her fingers against her textbook, questioning herself over and over again. An idea suddenly hit her and she threw open the book, frantically searching the pages for anything regarding the feudal era.

She flicked through the pages and suddenly froze on one page with a detailed sketch and some writing underneath. It was a sketch the house and the garden.

Kagome slowly traced her fingers along the sketch, staring intensely at each detail. The worn wood, the cracks and holes scattering each side. The flowers. Pink, yellow, blue, purple. Every colour that existed, existed in that garden. Plants, herbs, vegetables. It was beautiful.

Kagome's eyes flicked down to the writing underneath the sketch.  _The garden is guarded by the offspring of the great dog demon, who ruled the lands. Any human who enters the garden will come into contact with the offspring and will be sacrificed in order to preserve the beauty of the garden._

Sacrifice?

"Kagome?"

Kagome's eyes shot up, her cheeks growing hot and red as she realised the eyes of her teacher and every single one of her classmates were on her. "Kagome, can you answer the question?"

-

"But we always walk home together!"

"I know," Kagome sighed, avoiding eye contact with the other girls. If she looked at them, she would give in. "I have to go and get something for my Mama today. Sorry." She turned away and began to run in the opposite direction before they could begin to protest. "See you tomorrow!" She called before sprinting away.

Once she was far enough away that she couldn't see her friends in the distance, she slowed her pace to catch her breath, now drifting along the road. She wasn't even certain where she was headed, but there was something in the back of her mind, telling her to walk.

The road came to an end and Kagome approached the entrance of a small forest, which led uphill. She stopped for a moment, her eyes searching the trees for anything that could potentially harm her. This was not a good idea. Kagome knew that if there was any truth in the ancient conspiracy, that she would come face to face with something non-human. Why was she here? Was it to save the girl?

She stepped into the forest.

She walked among the trees, stopping every so often to observe different plants and herbs she had never seen before. She contemplated picking some and taking them home to Mama, but she hesitated, not wanting to awaken any forest demons by stealing from them. Whilst observing, something caught Kagome's eye. She looked up and her gaze caught the first flower.

The garden. She was here.

It was more ethereal than she could have imagined, and the scent only enhanced its beauty further. Kagome took a deep breath in through her nose, allowing the aroma to flow through her body, sending her into a relaxed state. She wanted to go further in. Something was pulling her towards the garden.

She stepped closer, allowing the flowers to fill all of her senses. The buzzing of insects, the scent of the flowers, the sight of every colour known to man. Kagome knelt down and reached out, ready to feel the soft petals of a small, pink flower at the very edge of the garden.

_Wait!_

Her conscience pierced through her trance and brought her back to reality. She pulled her hand back, away from the flower, and allowed her body to take her down the hill, as far from the garden as possible. As she ran, thoughts swirled around her head.  _What happened to me?_

The road entered her view again, and once she was completely free from the forest, she stopped for a moment to catch her breath. She still felt it, an invisible force pulling her back up the hill, the same force that had caused her to almost touch the flower and enter.

-

In her dreams, Kagome saw the garden again, and in her dream she entered, falling into a bed of bright pink hibiscus flowers. Suddenly, beneath her, the flowers began to wither. Kagome scrambled to her feet, watching in panic as the flowers instantly died. "What's happening?" She cried, her stomach panging with an intense guilt. "Did I kill them?"

"You killed them." A male voice from behind startled her, causing Kagome to spin around and fall backwards into the bed of dead flowers. Her eyes widened in fear as she stared up at the source of the voice.

A demon, with white hair flowing down to his knees and furs and fabrics covering his body. Amber, almost golden eyes. Red marks slashed across both of his cheeks, and a crescent moon in the centre of his forehead. Kagome knew immediately that he could not be human.

She began to cry as the demon approached her, fear cascading over her body which prevented her from running. "Are you going to kill me?" She managed to whisper.

She covered her face but left a gap between her fingers so she could peer up at the demon once more. He was kneeling beside her, inches from her face. He had no expression. No anger, no smirk. His eyes were empty, his voice was monotone. "You killed my flowers."

-

Kagome's eyes shot open, her breathing erratic and her forehead drenched in sweat. It took her a few moments to realise it was only a dream and that she was laying in bed instead of on the flowers. She swung her legs around to sit on the edge of her bed and breathed deeply, in and out, allowing her body to relax. The ticking of her alarm clock eventually caught her attention. 5am. The sun was just beginning to rise.

"Souta!"

Her mother's scream startled her and the panic she had just managed to rid immediately returned. "Mama?" She called out. No answer. "Mama?"

She opened her bedroom door and froze in the hallway, listening out for any noise to determine which room her mother was in. "Souta, can you hear me?" Souta's room.

"Mama?" Kagome called once more, entering Souta's room to see his mother sat on the edge of her little brother's bed, accompanied by her Grandpa. Kagome's gaze then fixed on Souta. He was deathly pale and unresponsive.

"Souta!" Kagome let out a scream, falling to her knees in the doorway. She reminded herself of the girls in school who had lost their friend, her cries now identical. "Is he dead?"

"He's not dead." Grandpa replied. His tone was calm, though his face expressed deep concern. "He's unresponsive. He's been bitten."

"Bitten?" Kagome asked, wiping tears from her eyes and sniffling. "Bitten by what?"

The lack of reply to her question told Kagome that her mother and Grandpa did not know what had bitten Souta, but it was clear that something had. Souta's left wrist was stained purple, with two large red bite marks in the centre, blood trickling from the holes. Kagome felt her stomach churn.

"This is the work of a demon! Modern medicine won't treat this." Grandpa explained confidently. "A rare herb will be required to rid this venom."

"Where do you get something like that?" Mama asked, her voice hoarse from screaming her son's name so many times in an attempt to wake him.

Somehow, Kagome knew exactly what her Grandfather was going to say before it left his mouth, and she spoke simultaneously with him. "The garden."

And Kagome was gone. Still wearing pink cotton pyjamas and thick, fluffy white socks, Kagome was sprinting through the streets. The sun was rising, a deep orange glow obstructing her vision as she ran. She held one hand to her face to block the sunlight, the other hand tightly balled into a fist.

She ran until she reached the entrance of the forest, her mind flashing back to only yesterday after school when she was here. The familiar force took hold of her, pulling Kagome towards the forest, and she stepped forward, allowing herself to be drawn in.

Her mind was fixed solely on Souta. She had to save him. As fearful as she was of whatever was guarding the house, no demon could prevent her from finding the herb and saving her brother. She would ask the demon which herb would remove the venom, and she would return home. Her brother would remain alive. Kagome was determined that this would be the case.

The garden entered her view and she took a deep breath, her eyes falling over the bed of flowers that had haunted her dreams. If she touched them, would they die like they had done in her dream? She didn't give a second thought before stepping one foot into the garden, tiptoeing along a small footpath which separated the bed of flowers into two and led towards the house.

Kagome approached the section of the garden which contained the herbs. She did not know which one would be the one to save her brother. Would she pick them all? She swallowed before reaching forward to touch one of the plants.

"You have returned." Kagome screamed, falling on her side onto the footpath. The voice she heard was hauntingly familiar, and Kagome knew exactly why. The voice continued, "You received my message."

Kagome stared at him confusedly as she shakily scrambled to her feet. "Message?" She questioned, desperately trying not to show her fear. "What message would that be?"

"Your dream was no mere dream, girl." The demon replied, his voice as monotone as it had been before. No evident emotion existed with this creature. "You were to return to this garden."

"And why is that?" Kagome challenged, trying desperately to be brave. The demon almost smiled then, the corner of his mouth twitching ever so slightly upwards. He replied, "Because your brother is dying."

Kagome let out a deep sigh. How did he know that? It didn't matter. The demon guarded this garden, he was bound to know which herb would be the one to save Souta.

"He was bitten by something venomous." Kagome explained, her eyes never once leaving the golden iris' of the demon. "We need an antidote to save him. You have something in your garden that can save him, right?"

"And I am to give it to you, human girl?"

Kagome nodded. The demon took one step closer, causing her to flinch, her confidence wavering. "You may have the antidote."

 _What?_  Her fear subsided and a smile broke across her face. "Really? Thank you!" She exclaimed, "Could you tell me which one will save him?"

The demon then held out one hand, and Kagome noticed that he had claws where his nails should be. She remembered her history textbook, which stated the demons of the garden were offspring of a dog demon. This man was a dog?

In the dog demon's hand was a plant. "This will save him." The demon said, holding it out to her. Kagome reached out and took the plant, pulling her hand away as quickly as she could in the fear that he would scratch her. "You'll let me live?"

The dog demon's mouth twitched upwards once more. "You must return to the garden once the antidote has been delivered."

She inhaled sharply, shocked at his statement. She couldn't return, she had school today. Why would she return? "I – I can't return. I'm sorry."

The demon stepped closer once more. "In which case the antidote is futile. Your brother will die."

Kagome's eyes widened and tears began to well in her eyes.  _She_  was the price to pay for the antidote? Was he going to kill her? She could save her own life, refuse the antidote and return to normal. Her body screamed at her to run, to take a chance at life, but her mind would not let her move. Souta.

She would sacrifice her life to save her little brother. She would return to the garden. She would die.

She brought a hand to her face, wiping the tears from her eyes, and she nodded. "The antidote for my return." She agreed. In a flash, the demon disappeared, freeing the pathway back to the forest. Kagome would go home and deliver the antidote.

Souta awoke with a cough, fluttering his eyes open to see three relieved, crying faces in front of him. Kagome smiled, sighing in utter relief that her brother was alive and awake.

Kagome's mother pulled the small boy into her arms, still sobbing as she exclaimed how happy she was that he was okay, promising that she would never let anything happen to either of her children as long as she was alive. Kagome smiled sadly, wishing that would be the case, but knowing she would be back in the garden and probably dead within the next few hours.

"Kagome, thank you." Grandpa whispered, squeezing Kagome's arm to signify a hug. Kagome nodded in reply, smiling sadly into her Grandfather's eyes. These were her last moments with her family, and she could not even show her devastation or say goodbye out loud.

With a deep inhale to prevent crying in front of them, Kagome turned on her heels and walked to her own bedroom, where she began to perform her morning routine as if she were heading to school on a normal day. With shaky hands she unbuttoned her pyjamas, replacing them with her uniform. She would pretend that she was going to school as normal to spare them from worrying for at least a few hours.

She opened her trusty yellow backpack which was sitting on her desk and filled it with a few items of clothing and some schoolbooks with the hope that maybe the demon wouldn't kill her and would let her study for her tests. Kagome nearly laughed aloud to herself. There was no way she'd be coming out of this alive.

She creeped downstairs, careful not to disturb Mama and Souta, who were still basking in their relief. An ache made its way through her chest, reminding her that she would not set foot into her house again, would not eat at the dinner table, would not sleep in her bed. Tears threatened her eyes once more, but Kagome fought them back, opening the cupboard and placing some instant ramen in her backpack.

"I'm going!" She called out once her shoes were on, and a faint goodbye from her family rang in her ears as she made her way down the road towards the forest. Her backpack was slung over her shoulder, causing her slight pain at its heaviness. She'd overfilled it by bringing her books. Huffing, Kagome slung the bag over her other shoulder to give her pained one a rest.

"You have returned. A wise choice." The demon greeted her as she drifted down the footpath between the flowerbeds. "Come."

Kagome followed him inside the old, wooden house and she scanned the inside, which was far larger than the house appeared to be from outside, though there was no furniture and no items to be seen. Once she was finished with her observation, Kagome asked, "So where will my body go?"

The demon, who was standing in front of her, turned his body towards her slightly. He did not reply to her question, so she elaborated. "When you kill me," She said slowly, "Where will you put my body?"

"I'm not going to kill you." The demon replied, a small laugh in the form of a huff leaving his mouth. A glimmer of hope pulsed through Kagome's body. She would live?

She couldn't help but ask, "Why not?"

He turned away from her once more and began to walk. She followed closely behind him, curiously awaiting his answer. In silence, they walked for a while, the interior of the house seeming to grow larger and larger the further inside she went. She was then led down a set of creaky wooden stairs, into a pitch-black room. Once the darkness covered them completely, the demon replied, "Weak humans who enter the garden sacrifice their souls to replenish the soil." Kagome shivered in fear, praying that she would not meet the same fate.

"However," The demon stopped walking suddenly, causing Kagome to stumble and almost fall into the back of him. "You are no mere weak human." He turned to her then, his golden eyes providing a tiny source of light in the black room. Kagome's eyes followed his hand, which reached in her direction as he pointed a finger to her stomach. She furrowed her brows in confusion, then looked down at where he was pointing and gasped.

A light flickered from underneath her uniform, just above her hip. There was something inside of her? What was it?

It was as if he heard her thoughts, because the demon began to explain. "You possess what is known as the Shikon jewel. The jewel contains immense power, as do you. You will give the jewel to me."

Kagome didn't respond. This was not the first time she had heard of the Shikon jewel. Grandpa had told her of the legend, how the jewel enhanced the power of those in possession of it, demon or human. Why was the jewel inside of her? In any case, she did not want to enhance the power of this killing demon. She stumbled back to distance from him, though she could sense him moving towards her.

She ran, allowing the faint light of the jewel inside her to illuminate her path. The demon followed closely behind her before suddenly appearing in front of her. She screamed, stumbling into him before she could stop herself. He grabbed her wrist with one hand, the other pointing its claws, ready to rip the jewel from her body.

"Stop!" She let out a deafening, high-pitched scream. An intense heat ripped through her body and down her arm, where a sudden burst of white light followed, causing the demon to release her wrist and fall to the ground with a cry.

Kagome leapt over his injured body, sprinting for her life. She didn't know what the hell she just did, but it worked, so who cared, right?

She continued to run until the jewel's light revealed something in the way, causing Kagome to stop. An enormous tree stood before her, and attached to it... a demon?

This demon was younger than the other and had much more resemblance to a human, except for a pair of fluffy dog ears which sat above his head of long, silver-white hair. He was unconscious, possibly dead, a large arrow sticking out of his chest.

He didn't look dead. He looked peaceful, as though he was sleeping. Kagome didn't feel scared of him as she had of the other demon. She stepped towards the tree to take a closer look at the dog boy, her hands instinctively reaching out and finding his ears.

"So soft." She whispered, her fingers stroking around the fur of the ears. She stared curiously at his face. _He's cute._

Her eyes then found the arrow again, and a voice in her head told her to touch it. With hesitance, Kagome touched the arrow and wrapped her hand around the shaft. She thought for a moment and pulled, and similarly to what had appeared from her hand when she was fighting the other dog demon, a burst of white light dispersed from the arrow.

When the light disappeared, Kagome realised that the arrow was gone, and a pair of golden eyes had fluttered open and were staring into her own.


	2. Her Demon

The newly awoken demon's gaze washed over her, scanning every one of her features. A blush began to creep across Kagome's cheeks as he stared into her eyes, his own widening. "Kikyo?"

Kagome froze, tilting her head as her brows furrowed in confusion. Kikyo? "Huh?"

"Is it really you?" The demon asked in a hushed voice, reaching his hand out to caress Kagome's cheek. She flinched, her blush returning as quickly as it had disappeared, growing hot under his touch. She pressed her own palm against her chest so that her heart wouldn't fall out from beating so hard.

"My - My name is Kagome." She stuttered, gazing down at the demon's hand which was still resting on her face. "I'm not Kikyo."

The demon lifted his free hand to scratch one of his dog ears. "You must be her." He replied, "You look exactly like her. Although -"

The demon stopped for a moment. His hand which was cupping Kagome's cheek fell down to grasp her arm, pulling her in. She fell against his body, letting out a squeak as her chest pressed against his. What was this?! Kagome had never gotten this close to a boy before.

He pressed his nose against her hair and sniffed. "You smell different. You really aren't her. Who are you then?" Once the demon realised Kagome was not the Kikyo he had thought, he pushed her backwards so she was no longer touching him. Kagome let out a deep breath, relieved and maybe slightly saddened that the moment was over.

"I told you." She said, her hands on her hips. "My name is Kagome, and I need your help."

The demon scoffed. "Of course you do. And what would that be from?"

Kagome bit her lip, tearing away from his gaze. "Well -"

Before she could finish, Kagome was interrupted as she found herself being pulled down the pitch-black hallway, her body yanked upwards and onto something which she couldn't see. She steadied herself, reaching forward for whatever she was sitting on. She felt a tickle on her body and face. It was...hair?

Oh, she was on the demon boy's back.

She found his neck and wrapped her arms around it, securing herself from falling. "Where are we going?"

"We're gettin' outta here." The demon told her. His running slowed to a stop as Kagome saw the first sign of light, flickering in front of them. Once they came to a stop, she hopped off the demon's back and stepped towards the light.

"Going somewhere?"

Kagome screamed as she was pulled back into the darkness, the familiar voice of the older, evil dog demon sending shivers down her spine. She struggled to free herself from his grasp, proving unsuccessful. "Help!" She called out, hoping her demon would come and rescue her.

And in a second she fell to the ground, freed from the evil demon's clutches. Her demon must have heard her message. Kagome attempted to search her surroundings for anything visible, but there was still pure darkness all around her and she couldn't locate the two demons at all.

"Sesshomaru." Her demon suddenly growled. "Long time no see, eh?"

"Inuyasha." The evil demon responded. So that's his name, Kagome thought, making a mental note. Inuyasha. "I see you've met my little friend."

Inuyasha scoffed. "You don't do friends, Sesshomaru. Usually, she'd be done with by now. What s different about her, huh?

"The girl possesses something I've been looking for. She's going to give it to me."

"No she's not!" Kagome called out, slamming her hands over her mouth as soon as it left her mouth. Idiot!

Inuyasha growled, "Shut up! I'm trying to help you here."

Sesshomaru let out a small huff. "You'll die before I let that happen."

The two demons fell silent for a few moments. Kagome began to feel uneasy at the eery silence and darkness. Suddenly, a metallic sound reached her. Then a clash. Were they fighting?

Kagome began to panic. She felt a pang in her chest, a worry casting over her for the demon boy she had only just met. She didn't want him to risk his life for her, what if he were to be killed? She wanted to help him in any way she could, but how could she do that when she couldn't even see?

Inu - Yasha? She called, her mouth fumbling over his unfamiliar name, afraid to get it wrong.

"Just stay there!" His tone was sharp but somehow calmed her instantly. She was just relieved that he wasn't dead. "I'll protect you."

Steel clashed against steel for a while longer, the demons battling to what seemed like no avail. Kagome sighed. She felt useless sitting on the floor in the darkness, being unable to aid Inuyasha in fighting the evil dog. She had to help in some kind of way. She thought for a moment, turning her head towards a sudden faint flickering in the corner of her eye.

She felt a sudden pull within her body, an urge to move towards the tiny light. She quietly stood, tiptoeing away from the feud to follow her body's request and find the source of the light.

She walked until she found it, feeling slightly disheartened at her discovery. The source of the light was simply an old, dusty set of arrows and a bow which looked like they had not been used for at least five hundred years. Kagome's gaze focused on one of the arrows in particular. It was glowing, in exactly the same fashion as the bow that had been inside of Inuyasha.

Kagome reached forward and placed a hand on the glowing arrow. Upon doing this, an intense rush soared through her arm and into her body, similarly to the strange sensation that had allowed her to injure the evil dog demon.

"What if...?" Kagome thought to herself for a moment before picking up the bow and arrows. She slowly made her way back to where the demons were, using the sound of their clashing swords as her guide. As she grew closer to the sound, she hid her glowing arrow behind her back so that she wouldn't be seen.

"Inuyasha?" She called.

"Kinda busy here." He called back. Her demon sounded exhausted now, his voice had grown hoarse and he was panting for breath. Kagome sensed that this would be the right time for her interference.

She lifted the bow and placed the glowing arrow onto it, its light allowing her to see the demons finally. The pair were constantly on the move, jumping around in order to dodge or attack the other. It would be difficult for Kagome to hit her target; she wasn't particularly talented at using weapons like this. She pulled back the arrow, fluttering her eyes closed for a moment. "Please," she whispered. Was she talking to the arrow? "Please hit Sesshomaru."

Her hands were shaking. She was terrified of the possibility of releasing the arrow and having it hit Inuyasha by accident. She was anxious, but she had to try something, so she took a deep breath and yelled, "Inuyasha, look out!" as her fingers finally let go.

She kept her eyes shut tight, only listening for the yell of whoever had been targeted by her arrow. She waited for a few moments, but there was no sound. Nothing. Did she miss?

She started to slowly open her eyes when she felt a sudden force push her upwards. She was being carried, pulled away from the dark hallway. She didn't know who was carrying her, was it Inuyasha or Sesshomaru?

Kagome let out a scream, punching at the arm which was grasping her waist. Her eyes were still closed, but from the adjustment of light through her eyelids, she could make out that she was no longer in darkness. Kagome had no idea where she was headed and so she began to panic. "Let me go!"

"Cut it out, would ya?" It was Inuyashal! Kagome instantly relaxed into his grasp, sighing in relief. "Thank goodness." She murmured. She must have hit Sesshomaru after all.

He adjusted her body so she could rest onto his back like she had done before. She knew what to do now, wrapping her arms around his neck, gripping tightly so she wouldn't fall off. They moved through the forest for a short while before Kagome's head began to grow heavy. She had been through an ordeal already and hadn't slept properly last night, so her fatigue was catching up to her. She rested her head on Inuyasha's shoulder and closed her eyes as he moved through the trees, letting her body fall into a slumber.

It was nighttime when she awoke, the heat of a small nearby fire and the smell of cooked fish reaching her senses. She sat up, stretching her body as she searched for her demon. To her relief, he wasn't far away. She found his body resting against a tree with his eyes closed. She watched his chest rise and fall softly, a small smile twitching at the corners of her mouth.

Kagome had begun eating one of the fish when her demon awoke, moving from his tree to sit near her. "How you feelin'?" He asked, though he refused to make any eye contact.

"Okay." She replied, taking another bite of her fish. "Thank you for saving me. I owe you one."

Inuyasha let out a quiet huff. "You owe me more than that." A moment of silence passed before he asked, "So, you gonna tell me what Sesshomaru wants you for?"

His head turned so he was staring at her now. His golden eyes became exaggerated by the glow of the fire. Kagome gazed at him, mesmerized. He wasn't human, he was unlike anything she had ever seen before. He was enchanting.

Kagome nearly forgot that he had asked her a question. She snapped out of her trance, replying, "He says I have something inside of me that he wants. A jewel of some kind."

"The sacred jewel?" The demon jumped to his feet. "You have it? How?"

Kagome flinched at his sudden persistence. "I - I don't know."

Inuyasha sat back down, leaning in close to her and causing her body to stiffen. "Kagome, you need to give me the jewel."

Kagome scoffed. "No way." She said, folding her arms, causing the demon to growl. "Maybe if you take me home, I'll think about it."

"You can't go home. Sesshomaru will find you and kill you if you go back. We have to stay here."

Kagome's heart sunk then. She thought of her family. Her mother, brother and Grandpa must have been so worried for her. She was never the type to stay out late or not come home. She was desperate to return to them. "Please, Inuyasha. My family -"

"You're no good to your family dead, are ya?" He snapped, causing her to whimper. His tone may have been harsh but he was right. She couldn't go back if she were to be killed straight away. The only protection she had against this evil demon was a demon of her own to fight him.

Inuyasha noticed Kagome's upset and his expression softened. "Look," He said, "Sesshomaru will do anything to get his hands on that jewel. You need to let me protect you so he doesn't get it, okay?"

Kagome's chest began to pound. She gazed at him, searching his eyes for any indication of integrity. She wanted to trust him, she was almost there, but not quite. "You promise you'll protect me?"

Inuyasha reached forward and clasped her hand with his own. Lifting their entwined hands into the air, making a pact, he said, "I promise."

That was all she needed to hear.

**Author's Note:**

> my first fanfiction for the inuyasha fandom! enjoy :)


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